Fire-box for kilns.



No. 792,769- PATBNTED JUNE 20, 1905. A. GILLETT.

FIRE BOX FOR KILNS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG.26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 792,769. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. A. GILLETT.

FIRE BOX FOR KILNS.

APPLIOATIOK FILED AUG. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3111mm fez witness UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT EEicE.

FIRE-Box FOR KILNS.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N0. 792,769, dated June 20, 1905. Application filed August 26,1904. Serial No. 222,241.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR GILLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbull, in the'county of Henry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Boxes for Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to kilns for burning brick, tiles, and the like, and has special reference to the construction of the fire-boxes of kilns.

.The object of the invention is to provide a fire-box for kilns in which doors and grates are done away with, thus providing for the operation of the kilns with less labor, fuel,

and trouble than heretofore, the construction providing for more thorough draft and combustion and more effective burning of the material placed in the kiln and a corresponding reduction in labor, amount of fuel employed, and an increase in the percentage of marketable brick, tile, or other material.

' Considerable difliculty and waste of fuel has been experienced in the use of fire-boxes and kilns as constructed at present by reason of the fact that insuflicient provision was made for the introduction of air and a lack of proper combustion. Under the construction at present in use it has also been found that the heat is held around the brick being burned in such manner as to cause the upper layers of brick to be burned too much and the lower layers not enough.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties by providing for proper combustion and an equalization of heat throughoutall the material contained in the kiln.

With the above and other objects in View, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully illustrated, described, and claimed. r

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is sectional perspective view of one wall of a kiln, showing the improved fire-box. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the Wall of the kiln, taken in line with one of the fireboxes.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawlugs.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the Wall of an ordinary kiln for burning articles made of clay. The kiln in its general construction may be of any usual or preferred form and is provided at various points along its inner surface with vertical flues 2, which form combustion-chambers, the outer Wall of which is formed by the inner surface of the kiln-wall, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In carrying out the present invention the fire-box extends beneath or through the kiln-wall and terminates at its inner end in line with the front of'the combustion-chamber 2 and extends at its outer end beyond the outer surface'of the kiln-wall 1. The ash-pit 3 may be formed of suitable brickwork; but in carrying out the present invention the top of the ash-pit is composed of a block 4, which constitutes at one and the same time an arched roof or ceiling for the ash-pit and an arched floor or burningsurface for the fire-box, the block 4; being substantiall y concavo convex in cross section, with the convexed surface thereof disposed upward. (See front end of said block in Fig. 1.) The side edge portions of the block 4 extend substantially horizontally and form flat seats for the lower edges of the sides 5 of the firebox, said sides consisting of solid blocks of the same material as the block L, the material employed preferably consisting of fire-clay, which is practically indestructible. The sides 5 are mortised or raised, as shown at 6, to receive correspondingly-shaped tenons 7 on the opposite ends of the front 8 of the fire-box,

which also consists of a solid block, preferably formed of fire-clay and interposed between the sides 5 and securely held by means of a tie-bolt 9, which passes along the outer exposed side of the fire-box and has its opposite ends received in lugs 10, extending outward from the side blocks 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The top of the fire-box is left open as far inward as the outer surface of the wall 1, as clearly shown in the drawings, while arranged over the fire-box and extending inward a distance equal to the thickness of the wall 1 is a'liue-arch 11, the same consisting of a solid block preferably formed of fire-clay. This block or flue-arch has its lower surface concaved or cut away to form an arched roof 12 for the lire-box, while the upper surface of said block is longitudinally grooved to form a plurality of parallel flues 13, which extend the entire length of the block, opening out at the front and rear thereof. The wall 1 of the kiln extends upward from the fluearch 11 and closes the upper sides of the fines l3.

Extending across the front of the flue-arch is a damper 14 in the form of an oblong plate having end pintles which are received in bearings 15, thus enabling the damper to be opened or closed or adjusted to any intermediate position for the purpose of regulating the amount of air passing through the lines 13.

The fire-box hereinabove described is doorless and grateless and provides for a hot-air blast, the air passing inward through the fl ues 13 being heated by the flue-arch and the fire burning beneath the same. The hot air thus supplied mingles with the products of combustion in the combustion-chamber, and as a result a more thorough combustion is obtained, which results in economy of fuel and a cleaner current of hot air passing through the con tents of the kiln. The arrangement also provides for increased draft, and as the combustion chamber opens out at a considerable height within the kiln a thorough downdraft is produced, which hasthe effect of carrying the heat equally through the contents of the kiln and acting uniformly thereon, thus preventing the overburning of the upper layers of brick or tiles and the underburning of the lower layers of the same. It will also be apparent that less labor is involved in keeping the fire-box supplied with fuel, there being no doors to open and close and no grate to clean. The ashes are delivered off of the inner end of the fire-box 4L and are raked or otherwise withdrawn from the ash-pit.

It is desirable to employ in connection with the damper 14 means to facilitate the adjustment thereof and for holding the same in its open and closed positions or in a partially open or closed position. This may be conveniently accomplished by connecting with one of the pintles or journals of the damper an adjusting-handle 20, having a weighted member 21 and projecting from the same side of the pivot as the damper itself, so that when the latter is in a position over the front ends of the flue 13 it is held closed by the weight of the handle. A set-screw 22, mounted in one of the bearings 15 and impinging upon a journal or pintle of the damper, provides for holding it partially or entirely open.

It should further be observed that the firebox is self-feeding and that it is only necessary for the fire-tender to keep the fuel-box full and free from clinkers and ashes, the coal feeding off of the block 4.

In connection with the foregoing it should be noted that no door is provided for the open front end of the ash-pit 3, and during the operation of the furnace the latter is filled with coal, which feeds off the inner end of the firesupporting arch 4. This arch is intended to hold the fire up while the clinkers and ashes are being taken out, thereby entirely dispensing with the use of grates, which are main: tained in-this class of furnaces at considerable expense, owing to the frequent burning out of the same. Furthermore, in the use of a grate it is almost impossibletokeep the same free from clinkers. 1n the present invention'the space between the bottom of the ash-pit and the fire and fuel supporting arch 4 is quite large, and thereby permits of the fire being readily kept clear ofashes with the minimum amount of labor. It should also be noted that the fire-box is intended to bekept full of coal, which serves as a. door, andinasmuch as the bottom, sides, and front of the fire-box are imperforate the air draws directly through the coal, takingaina l l-of the heat and gases which wouldjotherwiseaeseape if a fire-supportinggratewere employed. more perfect combustion isthus secured. I v Various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction mayQbe-resorted to Without departing from ,thepprinciple. or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-,

1. A'furnace for kilns comprising an ash-pit, a single block of refractory material constituting the roof of the ash-pit and the floor of the fire-box, imperforate inclosing sides consisting of solid blocks of refractory material and supported on the combined floor and roof block, and a flue-arch extending over the ashpit and leading into the combustion-chamber, said flue-arch also consisting of ya solid block of refractory material.

2. A furnace for kilns comprising an ash-pit, an imperforate combined floor and roof block extending over a portion of the ashrpit and consisting of a single block of fire-clay, firebox sides supported on said floor and roof block and also consisting ,of solid ,blocksof fire-clay, and a flue-arch extending over the ash-pit and leading inward to the combustion.- chamber, said flue-archfconsisting.of a solid block of fire-clay formed atitsundenside into an arched roof for the fire-box and also. provided therein with 'a plurality of air-fines. I

3. A grateless furnacefor fire-kilns com- I and roof block consisting of. a single block of fire-clay arranged to extend over a portion of the ash-pit, fire-box sides supported on said floor and also consisting of solid blocks of fire-clay, a flue-arch extending over the ashpit and leading inward to the combustionchamber, said flue-arch consisting of a single solid block of fire-clay and provided with a concaved lower surface forming an arched roof for the fire-box and provided in its upper surface with a plurality of longitudinal grooves constituting air-flues, and a damper mounted at the front end of the block constituting the flue-arch and arranged to cover and uncover the front ends of said grooves.

4. A furnace for kilns comprising an open ashpit, an imperforate arched fire-clay block constituting the roof of the ash-pit and the floor of the fire-box, imperforate side firecla'y blocks arranged upon opposite side portions of said arched block, a front end fireclay block supported upon the front end portion of said arched block, and means for fastening said side and front blocks in interlocked relation to constitute an imperforate inclosing wall for the fire-box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR GILLEIT.

Witnesses:

A. A. MAGKEY, F. A. STIOKNEY. 

